Hurricane Oscar forms off the Bahamas

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Oscar formed Saturday off the coast of the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The agency characterized the storm as “tiny,” with with hurricane-force winds only extending outward up to 5 miles (10 km) from the center, but it grew a little stronger as the day progressed.

The government of the Bahamas issued a hurricane warning for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which the agency warned should brace for hurricane conditions Saturday night. The government of Cuba issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were clocked at 85 mph (140 kph) with higher gusts. Its center was located about 5 miles (10 kilometers) south of Grand Turk Island and about 435 miles (705 kilometers) east of Camaguey, Cuba.

Hours earlier, Tropical Storm Nadine formed off Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast and was moving inland across Belize. Heavy rain and tropical storm conditions were occurring over parts of Belize and the Yucatan peninsula.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Belize City and from Belize to Cancun, Mexico, including Cozumel.

The hurricane center said Nadine was located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Belize City, with winds of 13 mph (20 kph). Its maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph (75 kph).

Nadine was expected to move across Belize, northern Guatemala and southern Mexico through Sunday, the center added.

Neither system posed a direct threat to the United States, though it was somewhat unexpected that Oscar became a hurricane on Saturday, said Philippe Papin, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center.

“Unfortunately, the system kind of snuck up a little bit on us,” Papin said.